Re: Zeus.Zbot Virus

Originally Posted by bobble

WinXP, SP3

Message shows up saying I have to click a button to protect my credit cards and banking information.
Warning! This looks like a classic phish. I assume they want you to click on a button which ends up sending your credit card information to the guys who wrote the virus! DO NOT CLICK THE BUTTONS!
Is anyone else infected with this virus?

The guys who write these viruses are getting better and better - now they are attacking firewalls!

Shrewd observation, Bobble. Actually, this was a clever move on ZA's Marketing Division to get lots of new folks to sign up for their forum. Seems to be working very well.

I'm guessing their next shrewd plan will include sending smoke out of my keyboard. Or, better yet, actually giving me a virus, then charging me to get rid of it.

These guys are brilliant!

Last edited by edwardzbuxxe; September 17th, 2010 at 09:05 PM.
Reason: clarity

RIP Zone Alarm

Every time one of my 100 or so clients asks me about this, I instruct them to find a different free firewall. I'm sure all other sec providers are doing the same. RIP Zone Alarm. It was good while it lasted.

Re: zbot.zeus Notice

I took the trouble to register for the forum just to say that I'll be discontinuing use of ZoneAlarm products now after their zeus.zbot crapware malware prank.
And also recommending to all the people I support that they switch to another provider.

Re: zbot.zeus Notice

Scareware AND false advertising

I'm sure everyone has seen the zeus notice by now. This is not only scareware, it's false advertising. I know for a fact Avira and AVG free both detect zeus and that Avira active shield catches it on their free product. If this appeared in a magazine ZA could be sued, is it so different on the internet?

I troubleshoot several PC's a month for family, friends and friends of friends. I've emailed them all to ignore this ad, uninstall ZA free and install -~Snip~ following this campaign. Zonelabs are preying on computer users who don't know any better.

4 of the people I mailed had actually upgraded to ZA security suite in the past year after I had installed the free version for them and hadn't seen this ad. I've told them to finish out their subs and to switch to another security suite.

After this move I'd actually recommend ~Snip~ over ZAIS. The only comparable scareware tactics I've seen are from Trojans, this is actually worse since a lot of basic users think "Zonealarm = Good". Sure AVG and Avira advertise to upgrade, everyone does on a free product. My issue here is the way in which this ad says only our paid premium product can protect you, which is not true as stated earlier.

I would advise everyone who agrees with me to email or post and lets try to make sure this sort of advertising loses the company more than it makes for it

Last edited by GeorgeV; September 18th, 2010 at 06:01 AM.
Reason: violation of "Terms of Use" Policy

Re: zbot.zeus Notice

Bye bye, Zonealarm. This brand of marketing just isn't my style, and judging from this thread, evidently I'm not alone. I'm officially moving on to something else, and I'm advising others to do the same.

Re: zbot.zeus Notice

Re: ZeuS.Zbot.aoaq

I too am migrating to another firewall and recommending others to do the same, I have been singing ZA's praises for years and am obsolutely disgusted and shocked by this behaviour - a firewall is supposed to protect you not screw you

Re: zbot.zeus Notice

Their whole business model is (well, supposed to be, anyway) BASED ON TRUST! How is this scam going to build anyone's trust?? Answer: It doesn't, it will DESTROY trust!

This shameful, scareware tactic makes me certainly not trust them anymore. How can I recommend this company/program to my clients if it behaves like a virus? My customers are not the most saavy computer users, and these tactics attempt to take advantage of that fact...its completely shameful (IMHO).

I've been recommending this product for so many years, and now, I'm completelyDUMBFOUNDED! I just can't understand this! Someone has completely LOST IT at Checkpoint. If these tactics continue, how can I NOT consider alternatives?

TRUST is HARD TO EARN, but also very EASY TO LOSE. I'm not sure how they can recover from this one. I'm shocked! I still, just can't believe this!

What would help would be nothing short of a PUBLIC APOLOGY and a PROMISE to NEVER, EVER, resort to such tactics in the future. Everyone is allowed one screw up, and this certainly was one.

Simply put: The 2nd one of these messages will be the last for me....and my customers!

tqt

Keywords: ZoneAlarm Global Virus Alert ZeuS.Zbot.aoaq

Last edited by tqt; September 18th, 2010 at 08:09 PM.
Reason: Added Keywords